Low-cost gaming chairs usually have few features. They typically come with lumbar and head cushions, and feature reclining backs, but they might not tilt. On top of that, they might be made of lesser materials than their more expensive equivalents. The AndaSeat Jungle 2 tries to buck that trend by not only tilting, but by featuring a built-in footrest and velvet-accented upholstery. That’s a lot on paper for a $299.99 chair. Sadly, the footrest isn’t very comfortable when extended, and is downright uncomfortable when hidden under the seat. In addition, the padding is relatively light, and the leatherette is some of the coarsest we’ve felt. It’s also not very comfortable for large-bodied people. If you’re looking for a gaming chair, and plan to spend $300 or less, the Cooler Master Caliber R1S and Razer Enki X are much more comfortable options.
An Extra Step for the Footrest
The Jungle 2 has a standard assembly process, with a few extra steps for adding the footrest. You bolt the chair back onto the seat, screw the armrests and bottom plate onto the seat’s bottom, insert the wheels and gas cylinder into the base, and place the seat onto the cylinder. Installing the footrest requires screwing two plastic brackets on the seat’s underside (you might have better luck doing this before completely assembling the chair, despite what the instructions say), inserting the two metal rods attached to the footrest into the brackets, and finally rolling small rubber rings onto the ends of the rods. Once you’ve done everything, the chair is ready for for you to take a seat, footrest included.
Not for Large Gamers
The AndaSeat Jungle 2 is recommended for people who stand 5 foot 9 inches or shorter, and weigh 330 pounds or less when sitting stationary (240 pounds or less when reclined). I’m a bit over the Jungle 2’s ideal user height and rocking weight, but I didn’t find the chair unstable in any way. The seat’s relatively high edges uncomfortably pressed into my thighs a bit, though. People with more modest builds may find the chair perfectly suitable.
The Jungle 2’s adjustments include altering the gas cylinder height, reclining the chair back up to 160 degrees, locking and unlocking the rocking chair tilt (a welcome feature on a low-end chair model), and tweaking the armrest height and horizontal angle. The armrests lack 4D movement for customizing their horizontal position. The footrest can be extended or retracted under the chair.
The all-black chair is mostly covered in AndaSeat’s DuraXtra AD+ faux leather with the company’s Velvet AD+ velvet material along the inner sides of the chair back and the seat edges. The footrest is also velvet, though the included lumbar and head cushions are faux leather with elastic straps for attaching to the chair’s back. The chair back, seat, and footrest are padded with AndaSeat’s Re-Dens AD+ foam.
AndaSeat claims its AD+ materials are more durable and (for the upholstery) stain-resistant than comparable gaming chair materials. The faux leather feels fairly sturdy, though it isn’t nearly as smooth or supple as the material found on the sides of the Cooler Master Caliber R1S or Secretlab Titan EVO 2022, and actually feels slightly more coarse than the faux leather we’ve seen on other gaming chairs. While the velvet is nice, I found the fabric on the Cooler Master Caliber X1C to be nearly as soft to touch. I can’t attest to the materials’ long-term durability, but you can expect the Jungle 2 to be vulnerable to cats like all faux leather chairs. If you want claw resistance, look for a fabric chair.
The foam padding is dense, though not as complete as the EVO or Caliber X1C. The upper sides of the seat’s back and sides are both suspended upholstery over light padding, and not solid injected foam like on those chairs. The parts that make contact with your body, however, are solid and supportive.
Irritation Underfoot
The footrest stays under the seat until you manually pull it forward to use it. The rectangular, velvet-covered cushion slides out and flips up to sit flat about a foot in front of the chair. It’s really more of a calf rest than a footrest at that distance, but shorter people might find it more suitable. The metal rods it’s mounted on are fairly thin, and the brackets that hold them in place are plastic. I noticed plenty of bounce with my legs resting on the footrest. It didn’t ever feel like it was going to break or bend, but I can imagine the footrest snapping off of the seat if you trip over it. Should this ever happen, AndaSeat provides a two-year limited warranty that can be extended to six years by sharing a picture of the chair on social media and letting Andaseat know.
Most of the footrest is hidden under the seat when it isn’t in use, but an inch or two jut forward even when it’s tucked away. In fact, I continually felt it against the backs of my legs when I sat back in the chair. I checked the footrest’s mounts, and found that the back of the right support was getting stuck against the adjustment lever’s metal arm. I pushed the support down to slide under the lever, so the footrest receded deeper under the seat, though still not completely hidden. It also got stuck every time I pulled the footrest forward, which meant I had to push the rod down past the lever every time I put the footrest away.
A Decent Chair With a Flawed Gimmick
AndaSeat makes good chairs, like the T-Pro 2, but the Jungle 2 isn’t one. The actual chair parts are made well enough, but the materials and overall feel lag behind the similarly priced Razer Enki X, and its seat design is not commodious to larger people. The footrest sounds good on paper, but it’s more a hindrance than an asset because of its flimsy feel. If you want a budget gaming chair, the Cooler Master Caliber R1S and Enki X are far better choices. They both lack a full-chair tilt function, but they’re superior in both comfort and build quality. If you can spend more, the $399 Cooler Master Caliber X1C is an excellent chair with breathable cloth upholstery, and the $519 Secretlab Titan EVO 2022 remains a favorite, too.
